Description

ME/CFS is a severe, often invisible illness with a very low quality of life. Despite being known for decades, an effective therapy is still lacking today. Out of a lack of perspective, those affected develop their own strategies, such as using fitness trackers to assess their stress limits. The goal was to develop a system that supports everyday life and at the same time provides progression data for research. PACE/ME combines a wristband with in-ear sensors to create an everyday companion. The wristband records vital and environmental data such as light, noise, and temperature and translates this into recommendations for action. The in-ear sensors provide indications of physiological changes and enable flexible sensory shielding. PACE/ME reverses the logic of classic wearables: instead of increasing performance, the focus here is on protection against overload. At the same time, it develops its own visual language for ME/CFS and creates cultural access to a previously overlooked patient group.